Air Filter Merv Rating Meaning

Your filters merv rating is a good way to help judge the effectiveness of the filter.

Air filter merv rating meaning.

The higher the merv rating the smaller the pores are for air to flow through an hvac filter. The merv rating on an air filter was designed by the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers ashrae to rate the effectiveness of air filters. This method tests air cleaning devices for dust removal efficiency. Think of merv 8 filters as a good option and merv 11 filters as the better option for normal residential use.

Many new jersey homeowners ask us about merv ratings especially when it comes to choosing between merv 8 and merv 11 air filters. Ashrae stands for the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers. Merv means m inimum e fficiency r eporting v alue which was developed by the american society of heating refrigeration and air conditioner engineers. This rating system is defined in an ashrae standard 52 2 which specifies the conditions under which the testing must be done and the performance required to meet each merv level.

Here s what we tell them. The standard rating system for filters is called minimum efficiency reporting value or merv. This can create more resistance in airflow than a system is designed to manage thus making it. An air filter s merv rating is a scale from 1 16 that describes the minimum efficiency of the air filter.

A low merv rating means that the filter does not remove as many particulates from the air. The merv rating system is intended to be used to determine the filter s ability to remove particulates from the air. Hepa is a type of pleated mechanical air filter. It is an acronym for high efficiency particulate air filter as officially defined by the u s.

An air filter s minimum efficiency reporting value merv rating measures how effectively the filter stops dust and other contaminants from passing through the filter and into the air stream. The test is based on particle size. The merv filter rating is the domestic and international industry standard rating system established by the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers. The rating system is called ashrae standard 52 2 2007.

Ashrae developed the merv air filter efficiency rating system. Filters with higher merv ratings trap small particles more effectively than filters with lower merv ratings. In other words merv ratings indicate an air filter s ability to remove pollutants from the air. This type of air filter can theoretically remove at least 99 97 of dust pollen mold bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0 3 microns µm.

In general filters with a rating of merv. When i say it s the standard rating system i mean it.